Removable access doors find numerous applications in instruments, the most common of which are as covers to battery compartments. A latching mechanism used to secure such doors in place typically employs a flexible latching tab having a single protrusion which engages a corresponding recess in the instrument body. However, this type of mechanism will commonly disengage if the instrument is dropped, permitting the door and the batteries to be inconveniently scattered and possibly damaged.
If improved resistance to unwanted opening is desired, the spring force of the latch can be increased. However, this results in an undesirable increase in the typical force required for a user to manually disengage the latch. Consequently, it becomes difficult or impossible for some users to open the enclosure. In addition, the shock impulse caused by a dropped instrument hitting the floor is often sufficient to disengage even a latch with a high spring force.
For added security, some enclosures employ fasteners such as screws to ensure that the enclosure is not inadvertently opened. This has the disadvantage, however, of requiring the use of tools to open the compartment. Further, the fasteners are of a very small size and easily may be lost.
From the foregoing it will be recognized that there is a need for a door latching mechanism that overcomes these drawbacks of the prior art. The present invention satisfies this need.
The foregoing and additional features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.